[blindkid] School services for an elmentary school VI studentgetting new teacher

[Gibbs, Emily]

Lauren,

 

I don't know your daughter but I recognize what you are describing.
I've seen students with the visual acuity of 20/400, the long arduous
process of writing, the fact that your daughter gets lost and has to
find where she was, the fact that she has to hold her face so close to
the paper that it interferes with her trying to write and there is one
very good solution.   Braille   Braille will solve all the problems that
a scribe will not.   A scribe will only write down what your daughter
says, but there is a large difference between writing and dictating.
The average person has a much larger vocabulary and a more professional
voice when writing as opposed to dictating as well.   

 

If your daughter was to learn braille, reading and writing would no
longer be long, painstaking processes.   With practice, she would be
able to read and write at the same speed as her peers.   If your
daughter was to learn braille, she would no longer have to hold her face
so close to the paper to read.   She would be able to sit up comfortably
and read in any location or lighting condition.   I understand that
being in a school in a different country with no TVIs available, it may
be difficult for you to get the services that your daughter needs.
However, I would also like to point out that the research shows that
your daughter will be competitive in the workforce is she is a braille
reader.   I would highly suggest that if you are wondering about the
importance of braille that you read Dr. Ryles' study: The Impact of
Braille Reading Skills on Employment, Income, Education, and Reading
Habits <http://www.braille.org/papers/jvib0696/vb960311.htm> .   It is a
formal study, so it is a little dry, but it is really an incredibly eye
opening paper about the importance of braille when it comes to success
for blind AND visually impaired people.   

 

I hope I'm not being too forward, but I feel very strongly about the
importance of Braille Literacy.   I would be happy to talk to you off
list if you have any questions.

 

,Emily ,Gibbs

Emily L Gibbs M.Ed. NCLB

Teacher of Blind Students

586.489.6017

979.730.7155 x11594

 

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